The second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs kicks off Monday with Game 1 between the reigning champion Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Toronto reached the second round for only the second time in two decades after defeating the Ottawa Senators in six games (the `Battle of Ontario`), while Florida swept aside the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games (the `Battle of Florida`).
In the regular season, Florida held the edge over their Atlantic Division rivals, winning three of four contests and outscoring the Maple Leafs 13-7. The Panthers also boast a playoff victory against Toronto, eliminating them in five games during the second round of the 2023 playoffs.
During the season series, Sam Bennett was Florida`s top goal-scorer with three, sharing the team lead in points (five) with Sam Reinhart. For Toronto, John Tavares also scored three goals, and Mitch Marner recorded three points.
Best Player Prop Bets
Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers) – Anytime Goal Scorer (+230, bet365)
Although he didn`t practice Sunday, Tkachuk is slated to be in the lineup for Game 1. The 27-year-old left wing made an immediate impact upon returning from injury in the first round against Tampa Bay, recording two goals and an assist in Game 1. He also found the net in Game 3 and aims to set the tone early against the Maple Leafs.
Morgan Rielly (Maple Leafs) – 1+ Assist (+190, DraftKings)
Rielly registered only one assist against the Senators in the first round, a contrast to his previous four playoff series where he had at least three assists each time. However, the 31-year-old defenseman was effective offensively against the Panthers in the regular season, contributing three assists to Toronto`s seven goals. He also recorded an assist in three out of four games when these teams met in the 2023 second round.
Brad Marchand (Panthers) – Over 0.5 Assists (+240, BetMGM)
This marks Marchand`s first playoff series against Toronto as a Panther, but he has extensive postseason history against the Maple Leafs from his time with the Boston Bruins. As a Bruin, the 36-year-old center played in four seven-game series against Toronto, tallying 19 assists in 28 games. More recently, Marchand recorded four assists in six regular-season games against the Leafs in 2024-25 and had four assists in Florida`s opening-round series vs. Tampa Bay.
